Pro Cyclists Ride 2016 Trek Madone 9-Series

At this year’s Critérium du Dauphiné, several Trek Factory Racing team riders competed on what looks to be a new aero version of the Madone. Typically the team uses four bikes: the Domane for Classics, the lightweight Emonda, the Speed Concept for time trials, and the workhorse Madone. But this new model is visually different than any of the existing models. And given the stages during which team riders used it, the bike appears to be updated Trek Madone 9 Series. And Trek isn’t hiding it, which means it’s likely close to production. The company is even posting pictures of it on its social media streams. This shot of Bauke Mollema (111) is from the Trek Factory Racing Facebook page.

2016 Trek Madone 9-Series

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Madone Cleared by the UCI

Trek

We asked Michael Mayer, Trek’s global road brand manager, for details on the bike and he responded by e-mail: “We will officially release information on new product developments when it is available for all riders to enjoy around the world.” It appears that Trek is close to full production, however. The versions in the photos we’ve seen appear to be finished products, and riders of varying heights are racing the frames. That suggests Trek has already developed multiple carbon molds, which companies typically only do after they finalize the design. The bike is also included on the UCI’s list of approved frames, and named the 2016 Madone 9 Series.

2016 Trek Madone 9-Series

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Trek’s Aero Makeover

Trek

Trek introduced the Madone in 2004 as its premier race bike. The frame evolved and in 2013 Trek added some wind-cheating shapes and features, turning it into an aero road bike. But it was less slippery than Cervélo’s S-series or Specialized’s Venge, because unlike those brands, Trek did not have another dedicated race model (Cervélo has the R Series and Specialized has the Tarmac). For Trek, the Madone had to do it all. But that changed last year when the company introduced the stiff, light Emonda, which allowed Trek to turn the Madone into a more radical aero bike.

2016 Trek Madone 9-Series

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One-Piece Bar and Stem

Trek

One of the most striking things of the new Madone is what we can’t see in the pictures. With the exception of a wire for the rear derailleur, the bike’s cables and housing are hidden, even for the front brake. Photos Trek posted on its Instagram feed show the bike with a one-piece stem/bar, which offers some clues to the stealthy routing. More details come from a Trek video showing the cables exiting the stem just in front of the steerer clamp. Where do they go from there? We’re not sure, but the bike’s headtube has a prominent nose (above right) that has enough room for the front brake cable, housing, and more.

2016 Trek Madone 9-Series

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Secret Nose Flap

Trek

We’re not quite sure what this flap does, but one possibility is that it covers the hole in the headtube shown in the previous slide.

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IsoSpeed Decoupler?

Trek

Check out bikes with race numbers 112 and 111. The current Madone is 112 and does not have a rear brake on the seat stays. Bike 111 is the new Madone and the rear brake is visible on the seat stays. Many aero bikes use chainstay brakes because engineers believe it reduces drag. That might be true, but that location makes the brakes a pain to set up and to open when you need to remove the rear wheel. The image also shows several other aero features: the shaped seat mast and seat tube (they are round on the old Madone); the seat stays look taller and flatter; the top tube has a graceful arc; and the downtube looks twice as deep. You can also see a mysterious white piece near the chainstay/seat-tube/top tube cluster. It’s not clear if the two are related, but you can also notice that the new Madone’s seat stays don’t attach to the seat tube like they did on the old Madone. Instead, they bypass it and attach to the top tube, just like they do on the Domane, which has Trek’s vibration-taming IsoSpeed Decoupler.

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matt phillipsSenior Test Editor, BicyclingMatt is Bicycling’s senior test editor, and has been testing for Bicycling and its related titles since 1995.

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